Fickel ‘doctors without borders’

Twila Fickel, assistant professor and director of health professions, physical, and life sciences, spoke last Thursday, Sept 23, about her time spent doing relief work in Haiti.

Fickle and many others spent much of their time working in Fond Parisien. The “Love A Child” orphanage located there has been converted into a hospital.

This hospital is made up mainly of large groups of tents where doctors and nurses treat those wounded in the Haiti earthquake. Even the operating rooms consist of small tents with everything needed packed inside. Each tent allows four patients and each patient can have one family member accompany them. Fickel explained that the tents were often very cramped because of this.

During her time spent in Haiti, Fickel treated patients ranging in age from infants to adults. She showed a picture of a small girl at the age of five using an adult walker.

Fickel showed several photos of her treating patients. Because of the earthquake, many of her patients had broken legs or arms, and some had even lost legs or arms.

Fickel’s trip to Haiti was roughly two months after the hurricane. She explained that now, nine months after, the damage is still substantial.

Toward the end of the lecture, Fickel said that despite the terrible circumstances, it was good to see the way that people from all over the world gathered to help. She said it was “medicine the way it’s supposed to be done,” with the main focus on patients rather than money or career success.

Fickel said the experience was difficult to talk about, even on the night of the presentation, but that she benefited from her experiences.